450 CHARACTER OF THE HEDGEHOG, 
been killed on the previous day, but its death had been laid at the door of the stoat. 
Earth and air thus seem to furnish their quota of nourishment for the Hedgehog, which 
extends its depredations to the aqueous element, and displays a cultivated taste for fish. 
So fond is this carnivorous creature of the finny tribe, that 1t has been frequently caught 
in traps which have been baited with fish for the express purpose of decoying the 
Hedgehog into their treacherous jaws 
Whether in its wild state it is able to capture the little birds, is not accurately known, 
but im captivity it eats finches and other little birds with great voracity. One of these 
animals, that was kept in a state of domestication, ate no less than seven sparrows 1m the 
course of a single night, and another of these creatures crushed and ate in the course of 
twenty-four hours more than as many sparrow-heads, eating bones, bill, and neck with 
equal ease. 
Its legitimate prey is found amone the insect tribe, of which it consumes vast 
numbers, being able, not only to chase and capture those which run upon the ground, 
but even to dig i in the earth and feed upon the grubs, worms, and various larvee which 
pass their lives beneath the surface of the ground. A Hedgehog has been seen to 
exhume the nest of the humblebee, which had been placed in a sloping bank, as is often 
the case with the habitation of these inseets, and to a bees, grubs, and honey, unmindful 
of the anger of the survivors, who, however, appeared to be but little affected by the 
inroads which the Hedgehog was making upon their offspring and their stores. 
According to the oenerality of writers, among whom we may reckon My. White, 
the immortalizer of Selborne, the food of the Hedgehog is not entirely animal, but 
is varied with sundry vegetable substances, such as roots, haws, crabs, and other wild 
fruits. Others, however, ‘deny the vegetable diet of the Hedgehog. In the “ Natural 
History of Selborne,” however, we find a very interesting account of the manner in 
which the Hedeehog devours the roots of the plantain without injuring the leaves, by 
erubbing with its snout, and biting off the stems so delicately that the leaves fall 
untouched. The roots of grasses are ‘also said to form part of the Hedgehog’s food. 
As might be supposed from the destructive tendency which is, on certain occasions, 
so strongly developed in the Hedgehog, the animal is a determined fighter whenever it 
engages in battle, and is capable of inflicting severe wounds with its sharp teeth and 
powerful jaws. Should several Hedgehoes be confined in one spot, and a stranger be 
admitted among them, the new-comer will assuredly be forced to fight for his position, 
and, in all probability, will either kill one of his opponents, or will fall by the teeth of his 
adversary. In either case the victor becomes a quadrupedal cannibal, and, not satisfied 
with having destroyed his foe, ae ‘ds to eat him. In such a ease, the slain combatant 
is totally devoured, with the exception of the skin and its prickles, which remain as a 
token of battle and a trophy of victory. 
All Hedgehogs are, however, not endowed with an equal amount of combativeness, 
but are extremely different in their dispositions. Some are most gentle and retiring in 
their habits, while others are savage and ferocious to a degree, and seem to be totally 
devoid of fear, so that they will attack boldly y any object which annoys them, perfectly 
regardless of its character or its size. 
The Hedgehog has generally been considered as a dull and stupid animal, incapable of 
being tamed, “and mindful only of its own comfort. Such, however, is really not the case, 
for when the animal meets with a kind and thoughtful owner, who will try to develop 
the best feelings of the creature, it proves to be quite affectionate in its characte and 
will display no small amount of fearless attachment to its master. It would, in all 
probability, have been better appreciated had it not been, unfortunately, the object of 
terror or detestation to those who are unacquainted with its habits, and who are 
either alarmed at its prickly array of quills, or have imbibed certain prejudicial notions 
concerning its harmful qualities. 
It has. already been mentioned that the Hedgehog is fond of milk, but it would 
hardly be imagined that the animal would condescend to partake of strong drink, and 
that to such a “degree that it would be reduced to a state of helpless intoxication. Such, 
however, is the case, as has been recorded by Dr. Ball of a Hedgehog which he possessed, 
